The original sport is water skiing, a nautical activity in which the athlete is pulled by a rope tied to a motorboat. Later, around the ’80s, as the evolution and combination of sports, wakeboarding was born. The English ‘wake’ refers to the furrows or stelae that boats leave, and ‘board’, to the table on which it is practiced. Both sports are similar with the difference that water skiing uses two ski boards, whereas in wakeboarding, the wakeboarder (a term used to describe the person practicing it) slides on a board similar to a snowboard, for This reason is that it is considered a combination between both.
Regarding the necessary elements, we need:
motorboat or jet ski
table: which must adjust to the height and weight of the athlete, there are different types of table according to the experience and the level reached.
boots: can be closed or open
bindings: present in the upper part of the board, allow the boots to be attached to it.
rope: for your choice it is necessary to determine the length of the same depending on the level, since the more advanced, the speed reached by the boat is greater and a longer length is required. Another issue to consider is the quality of the rope, which should make it not stretch or give way.
palonier: element that allows the wakeboard to remain attached to the boat through the rope. Its quality is very important because due to the salinity of the water, it wears out.
lifejacket and helmet: those that provide protection against blows, are insulating from cold, humidity and sunlight. With striking colors, they facilitate the location of the rider.
Its practice involves knowledge of techniques on how to do it and the necessary equipment, as well as optimal places to carry it out. Since we assume that who is on the other side of the screen, has already experienced the sport at some time, and for that reason knows the techniques and stages that the activity entails, we will only detail the possible locations that Mendoza presents for its practice.
In general, wakeboarding is considered a safe sport, capable of providing great emotions and lots of fun. The ideal places to do them are those areas where there is a lot of wind and waves, allowing the performance of acrobatics in the air. In the case of beginners, a protected basin, with calm waters, exposed to a regular wind, so that you can easily return to the starting point, is undoubtedly the best option.
Mendoza has reservoirs and dams characterized by the presence of a lot of wind and calm waters that allow the circulation of boats suitable for this type of activity, such as El Carrizal and Los Reyunos, so tourism and the practice of this sport is an important part of the nautical activities that are carried out in the province.
